Sometimes, I HATE stuff. And I know now that's ok. Truly. Hate is a sometimes deeply unsettling reminder that we are in fact, flawed human beings. If you love everything I don't think you're real. But I think it's more productive to consider why you hate stuff, and if it's possible - and it's not always - to seek out something positive. I know lots of people will say something like "Why hate? It holds you down!" But honestly, learning that it's ok to hate things set me free. Realizing that I don't have to like everything and everyone has helped cut a lot of dead weight from my life, and put the focus back on the people and things I really care about, and not just the ones I thought I was supposed to.
Now look, I'm not talking hate like the shootings in Colorado, or any kind of hate crime. I don't, nor will I ever, condone aggression or violence against a person, because you "hate" them. That is unforgivable, and most frequently stems from a place of ignorance and intolerance.
What I'm talking about is realizing you dislike something strongly enough that you don't want any part of it in your life, and being adult enough to accept that.
Let's take three light and fluffy examples to flesh out this weighty topic.
1.) Julie Taymor films.
Her movies are TERRIBLE. They are poorly directed pieces of crap. Now, to her credit, I will say she is a visual GENIUS. This is the positive. No doubt about it. The way her mind puts together a picture is marvelous. Take another one of her super shitty films, Across the Universe and behold this sequence. It's very clever, and dark.
Mergh. Now I'm getting fiesty! Rarh! Keep it rolling, it feels good to blow off some steam...
2.) Chick From Kickboxing
CFK (Chick From Kickboxing, or Chicken Fried Kentucky, whichever you prefer) is the worst. I cannot stand her and almost walked out of class yesterday because I had the misfortune of being paired with her.
She's not a bad person. I can see certain qualities within her (enthusiasm!) that others might find endearing. But I loathe her and will go out of my way to avoid ever seeing her again. But she's ALWAYS there! I've come at all hours and seen her there. And heard her. God, it's impossible not to hear her. Because anything Sensei has to say, after every sentence, she screams "YES, SENSEI!" like a stupid bastard. She does not stop. She thinks she's adorable, and I'm 99% sure I'm not the only one who would like her to shut up. Yesterday, we were paired together, which was unfortunate. Sensei was having us focus on technique and the clarity of our movements. But stupid CFK was all about showing off that she's fast! Soooo fast! So fast that her movements suck and are incredibly sloppy! Even Sensei tells her to slow her roll. He firmly instructs "let the bag settle before you make contact." BUT NO! CFK obviously knows better than this black belt. Because the minute I hit the bag, while it's still wobbling, she's on it. Every. Single. Time. She even hits it before I can a few times, like I'm not even there. I cannot even explain how infuriating it was that she was not only sucking, but messing me up as well, and defying Sensei's instruction. FUCK HER. I hate her so much. And I'm really, very, healthily and happily all right with that. Because I accept it, and understand there's nothing I can do besides avoid her. Avoid her like the plague.
3.) A few weeks back, I was casually making fun of the 50 Shades of Grey books, because they seem incredibly stupid. BDSM Twilight fan fiction? Wasn't Twilight bad enough!?!Why was this not deep-sixed on a publishers desk immediately?? A friend reading them told me to essentially put my money where my mouth was, because I was trash-talking something I knew nothing about, which puts me at fault. Called out, she loaned me the books. Oh, good, I was right. THEY ARE HORRIBLE. THEY ARE EMBARASSING. They set women's rights back about 60 years. I'm disheartened that good, smart friends of mine like these books. And this is pure opinion, but it's how I feel. I hate them. Because it's a "love story" (what they have is not love, it's Stockholm Syndrome) between a WEAK, pathetic woman, and a controlling, revolting waste of space. The writing is abysmal and repetitive. I've seen better sex on the Discovery Channel (nothin' but mammals...). The female protagonist thinks she can "fix" or "save" the man. His desire to "protect" her is absolutely stalking and obsession. There is nothing redeeming about it. It is deeply upsetting to read because it's being presented as a great love story, and it simply is not.
Closing thoughts. Feelings of hate are unavoidable. It shows we are alive and react to the world around us. How we handle our hateful thoughts, our actions and reactions is what's important. Because we still need to try to be decent people, and live peacfully in society. Accepting that there are things and people we don't like but simply have to deal with is half the battle.
